Brace and bracket fob ladders



s, N; WHEELER. BRACE AND BRACKET FOR LADDERS.

APPLICAUON FILED IANB'M. 1917.

1,304,427. Patented May-20, 1919.

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JOEL NILES WHEELER, OF GENEVA, ILLINOIS.

i BRACE AND BRACKET FOR LADDERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 20, 1919.

7 Application filed January 24, 1917. Serial No. 144,219.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOEL NILEs WHEELER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Geneva, in the county of Kane and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Braces and Brackets for Ladders, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates particularly to improvements in means for securing treads or steps to the legs of ladders, steps, or the like, an object being to provide a simple means for securing and supporting the treads without mortising them into the legs, and to so construct the bracket that it also becomes a brace and adds lateral rigidity to the ladder or steps.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device for the purposes described which will be cheap to manufacture and which can be readily applied without the use of special tools or skilled lalbor and thereby reduce materially the cost of construction of ladders, steps, and the like.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification, in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the lower portion of a step ladder showing the brace and bracket applied.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the metal blank from which my bracket and brace is formed.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of my invention.

Fig. 4c is a perspective view showing the device applied to the leg of a ladder, the step or tread being shown removed, and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the rear of a step and stile, showing method of attaching my invention.

The device is preferably stamped out of a sheet of steel, or other suitable material, and comprises a horizontal body-portion 1 and a vertical portion 2 formed by bending the blank at right angles transversely on the line ww, of Fig. 2. The vertical portion is provided with extended ears 3 and 4 which are subsequently folded or bent on a diagonal line w-y, of Fig. 2, which diagonal line is determined by the incline of the stringers or legs, so as to form relatively a right angle with the vertical portion 2. This bending on the diagonal line causes one of the ears to extend downwardly and the other ear to extend upwardly with respect to the plane of the horizontal portion 1. Suitable holes 5 may be provided, as shown in the drawings, in the several portions through which nails or other suitable fastenings can be passed when securing the device in place.

In applying the device to a ladder the body-portion l is secured to the under face of the step or tread 6 so that the end of the latter abuts against the vertical-portion 2. Nails are then driven through the outside of the leg 7 through the vertical portion 2 of the bracket and into the end of the tread 6, thereby rigidly securing all of these parts together. The projecting ears 3 and 4 are then secured to the front and rear edges of the legs 7 by means of nails or other suitable fastening devices. As the legs of the'stepladder are in an inclined position when the latter is in use, it will be noted that the brackets are also positioned on the legs in an inclined position, which is made possible by the adaptalbility of the ears 3 and 4 to any inclination, and the step is made to assume a position relatively horizontal.

By the use of the device embodied in my invention the treads and legs of a ladder are rigidly secured together and the treads are firmly held at their ends. As there is no lost space between the ends of the steps or treads and the inside face of the legs, (except that filled by the bracket itself) there is no possibility ofthe step ever sagging, as it rests securely in the angle of the bracket.

It is to be understood that modifications in the construction of this brace and bracket may be made, such as the addition at the top of the vertical portion 2, of an additional member parallel with the body portion 1, or the elimination of one of the ears attached to the vertical portion, without departing from the principles of this invention, but coming within the scope of the claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A ladder bracket and brace comprising a supporting portion and a hanger portion formed relatively at right angles to one another, said hanger portion having extended ears for engagement with the front and rear edges of the leg of a ladder, one of said ears bein directed below the plane of the supporting portion and the other ear being directed above said plane, all of said portions being formed integrally.

2. A. ladder bracket and brace for secur ing the step and leg of a ladder together, comprising a single member having a portion formed to engage with the under face of the step and to be parallel therewith, another portion adapted to engage with the inside face of the leg and between the end of said step and said leg, and portions adapted to engage with the front and back edges of the leg, said last named portions being di rected respectively above and below the plane of the first named portion.

3. A ladder bracket and brace comprising a laterally extending horizontal portion, a vertically extending portion disposed substantially at right angles to the laterally extending portion and spaced ears formed on said vertically extending portion, their axes being oblique to each other and their opposed surfaces spaced in parallel relation.

4. The combination with a ladder, of brackets disposed beneath the steps of the ladder and between the ends of the steps and legs thereof and ears extending obliquely to each other and carried by said brackets engaging the front and rear surfaces of the legs.

J. NILES WHEELER. Witnesses:

RUTH FREEMAN, RUTH J OHNSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G." 

